The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 1 eBook

“Markandeya said, ’O great king, O Yudhishthira,
the rules about charity which thou wishest to hear
from me are always highly regarded by me. Listen
now to the mysteries of charity as expounded in the
sruti and the smritis! A man that performs a
sraddha in the conjunction called Gajacchaya at a
place that is fanned by the leaves of the Aswattha
tree enjoys the fruits thereof, O Yudhishthira, for
a hundred thousand kalpas. O king, he that foundeth
a dharmasala and established there a person to look
after all comers, is crowned with the merits of all
the sacrifices. He that giveth away a horse at
a tirtha where the current of the river runneth in
a direction opposite to its general course, reapeth
merit that is inexhaustible. The guest that comes
to one’s house for food is none other than Indra
himself. If he is entertained with food, Indra
himself conferreth on the best merit that is inexhaustible.
As men cross seas by vessels, so are the givers mentioned
above are saved from all their sins. So what
is given unto Brahmanas produceth, like gift of curds,
inexhaustible merits. A gift on particular lunations
produceth merit that is twice as much as a gift on
other days. That in a particular season produceth
merit ten times greater that in other seasons.
That in a particular year produceth merit a hundred
times greater than in other years. And lastly,
a gift on the last day of the last month of the year
produceth merit that is inexhaustible. A gift
also that is made while the Sun is on the solstitial
points, one again that is made on the last day of
the Sun’s path through Libra, Aries, Gemini,
Virgo, and Pisces, a gift again during eclipses of
the Moon and the Sun, produce merit that is inexhaustible.
The learned have also said that gifts made during the
seasons produce merit that is ten times, those made
during the change of seasons, a hundred times—­and
those made during the days when Rahu is visible, a
thousand times—­greater than what is produced
by gifts at other time; while a gift made on the last
day of the Sun’s course through Libra and Aries
produces merit that knows no diminution. O king,
no one can enjoy landed possessions unless he giveth
away land, and no one can go on cars and vehicles
unless he giveth away these. Indeed a person on
rebirth obtaineth the fruition of whatever objects
he hath in view at the time of making a gift to a
Brahmana. Gold hath sprung from Fire; the Earth
from Vishnu; and the cows from the Sun. He, therefore,
that giveth away gold, land, and kine attaineth all
the regions of Agni, Vishnu, and the Sun. There
is nothing so eternal as a gift. Where, therefore,
in the three worlds is anything that is more auspicious?
It is for this, O king, that they who have great intelligence
say that there is nothing higher and greater in the
three worlds than gift!’”